Bonded
labour in brick kilnWorkers and families held in bondageBy People's
Vigilance Committee on Human Rights

People's Vigilance
Committee on Human Rights, PVCHR
has come to know of the existence of a large number of Bonded labourers
along with their wives and children being held in bondage by a brick kiln
owner and subjected to inhuman beatings, torture, and death threats when
they ask for their wages, and when they oppose the sexual exploitation
of their women family members. On the 10th of April 2002, four Bonded
Labourers, named Ansar s/o Sarafhin, Babul s/o Barajhan, Latiff s/o Philuhin
Mistry, Mukesh s/o Sheikh Mohd. Farukkh were brought to PVCHR office by
one of our activist Ram Prasad.

They
narrated their story as detailed below. The four belong to the West Bengal
village Kaligram under Police Station Chanchal of District Malda Town.
They work as labourers making bricks, which is seasonal job, from November
to June. In June 2001 at the end of the season, when they were returning
to their village in West Bengal, one Naneh Singh who owns the brick kiln
M/s Adarsh located in village Pratap Patti under Police Station Badaganv,
Varanasi, told Ansar that he should bring more workers in the next season.
Nanhe Singh promised to pay the up and down fare and wages of Rs.130 on
every 1000 bricks. In November 2001, Ansar returned with some 30 workers
and began working in the brick kiln of M/s Adarsh. They worked from 3
A.M. for up to 13 hours with a small break in between.

Although
Nanhe Singh paid them weekly, the amount paid was less than the amount
promised. Thus to a family of two he paid weekly Rs.150 and Rs.250 to
a family of three. When they complained he threatened to throw them in
the burning oven of the Kiln. The workers also complained that Nanhe Singh
raped the women folk and when they protested he threatened to kill them.
On the 9th of April 2002, at around 4 A.M. some 13 of them fled to a neighbouring
brick kiln called M/s Payal Kiln owned by Ramesh Seth, in Village Oondi
under Police Station Shivapur, Varanasi. However at around 6 a.m. Naneh
Singh accompanied by Munshi Vijay, Dippu Singh and 5 men came in Tata
Sumo No: UP 32R-1157, to M/s Payal brick kiln armed with Lathis, Knives,
and Guns.

They
started beating the 13 labourers who had run away from M/s Adarsh Kiln.
When the escaped Labourers started to run to save themselves, the men
chased them beating and stabbing. Hearing their screams, the people of
the village came out of their homes. Seeing the villagers, the attackers
fired warning shots in the air and fled leaving the Tata Sumo behind.
Later on, being informed by the Village Watchman the Police of the Shivapur
Police Station came and took the Tata Sumo with them. The matter was brought
to our notice by one of our activist who brought four of the labourers
to PVCHR office.

They informed us that there were some 19 bonded labourers from Malda District
of West Bengal still in the kiln. PVCHR informed the DM who instructed
the Deputy Labour Commissioner who instructed the ALC to investigate the
matter while the SSP instructed the Police Station of Shivapur to intervene.
In the meantime the escaped labourers who had taken refuge in our office
went back and brought the remainder of the 13 who had escaped in the morning.

At
night the Administration raided M/S Adarsh brick kiln and freed the remaining
19 bonded labourers of Malda. The next day he them sent back to Malda
after giving them release certificate. On 13th April 2002 we also sent
back the 13 labourers back to Malda.

Our
Demands

Instruct the DM, Varanasi to issue Release Certificate to the 13 bonded
labourers who had fled the kiln and taken refuge in PVCHR office.

Instruct the DM, Malda District, West Bengal to arrange for Rehabilitation
of the freed bonded labourers.